Moscow – President Vladimir Putin took a virtual victory lap during a meeting with his top military commanders, touting the capture of nearly 5,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory in 2025 as proof of Russia’s battlefield dominance.
In his address, Putin declared that Moscow now holds the “complete strategic initiative,” a clear message to his military and the Russian public that the war is proceeding successfully. He dismissed Ukrainian strikes inside Russia as militarily insignificant.
This triumphalist tone was also used to set the stage for a stern international warning. Putin drew a clear red line for the United States, stating that the provision of Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine would be a grave error leading to a “new stage of escalation” and the end of relations with Washington.
While Putin celebrated, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was busy exposing what he describes as Russia’s illicit tactics. He accused the Kremlin of using its oil tanker fleet for covert operations, including espionage and sabotage.
Zelenskyy’s pledge to work with allies to stop these activities serves as a reminder that the war is far from over and is being fought on multiple, complex fronts beyond the territory Russia claims to have captured.